Pneumatic support for vehicle frames and the like



July 2, 1935- H. H. ROBINSON 2,006,409

PNEUMATIC SUPPORT FOR VEHICLE FRAMES AND THE LIKE Filed Se t. 11, 1933 INVENTOR. 'HA R 0L0 H. Roam sow ATTORNEYS.

Patented July .2, 1935 p 2 UNITED STATES PNEUMATIC SUPPORT FOR 'VEHIG v FRAMES AND THE LIKE V Harold H. Robinson, Coral Gables, Fla, assignor I to Curtiss :Aerocar Gables, Fla., a corporation of Florida; 1

I Company, Inc, Coral Application September 11,1933, serial No. 688,915

1 Claim.

This invention relates to pneumatic means for connecting members, such as the chassis and body frame of a vehicle, together, to permit a,

degree of cushioned relative movement between the members.

One object of the invention is to providea hanger adapted for the resilient support of vehicle bodies.

Another object is to provide a bodysupporting hanger which will prevent the transmission of shocks from the chains 'tothe body.

Other and further objects reside in the details of the construction and manner of assembly of the parts as will be apparent from the following specification and claim.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates one embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing a modified form of the device shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is an end view of the structure shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, l designates a horizontal member of a vehicle body frame or the like and 2 designates a horizontal frame member of a chassis upon which the body frame is to be supported. As shown, the member I is in the form ,of a wooden beam while member 2 is in the form of a channel iron. Attached to,

chassis frame member 2 is an annular metal housing 4 shaped on its inner surface to conform to the periphery of a pneumatic tire 5. The housing is divided horizontally to form upper and lower halves designated 6 and 7 respectively and the halves are provided with mating lugs 8 drilled 40 to receive bolts 9 which hold the housing clamped tightly and nonrotatably about the tire 5 while permitting insertion or removal of the tire as desired. The lower half 1 is provided with an 5 having closed ends and 11 based axially for the reception of a clamping bolt l9, and provided with a flange adapted to take the horizontal thrust of one bead of the tire. The second member of hub 14 comprises a cap member 2| (bored to receive bolt l9) and provided with a flange 22, which engages the other bead of the tire. Member I5isgrooved at 23 to accommodate the stem'of valve l3 and cap memberzl is drilled as at 23 topermit the extension of the valve stem to the outside of the cap for convenience in inflating the tire. Bearing plates 24 and 25 apertured to receive bolt i9 are secured to opposite sides of frame member I by bolts 26. Bolt I9 is provided at one end with a head 21, engaging cap member 2| and is threaded at the other to receive nut 28 by which hub M is clamped tightly to frame member l.-

In the assembling of the foregoing elements, tire 5 and tube l2 are assembled in. the usual manner and hub member I5 is inserted in the center of the tire annulus with channel 23 in alignment with valve steml3. Cap member 2| is similarly inserted from the opposite side with the valve stem passing through opening 23'. The top half 6 of housing 4 being removed; the tire is placed in the lower half I of, the housing and the upper half 6 is then bolted in place. Clamping bolt I8is inserted through hub l4 andplates 24 and 25 and the hub drawn into rigid abutment with plate 25 by tightening nut 28 on bolt l9, flanges 20 and 22 at the same time being drawn into position againstthe tire beads to hold the tire against axial displacement. The tire is then inflated through valve l3 in the usual manner. The openings 29 and 30 at the sides of the housing 4 serve the dual purpose of giving access to the hub parts and providing room for a degree of expansion of the tire 5 under varying loads.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modified form of assemblyby which the car body, the tireand the chain member are placed in substantially vertical alignment. As there shown the chassis member 2, housing 4, tire 5 and hub I4 are assembled as previously described. The car body I is cut away as at 3 Iv to receive the housing l. The opening 34 is 45 bridged by an angularly positioned yoke 3| secured at its ends to body I by bolts 32. The yoke 3! is bored at its center to receive bolt l9 to secure hub I4 and the parts carried thereby to the yoke. As is clearly shown in Fig. 5 yoke 3| is offset sufficiently to bring housing 4 and chassis member 2 substantially in vertical alignment with the body I.

It will be seen that in the construction above described the body load is transmitted to the chassis through the tire 5 and conversely all road and operating shocks imparted to the chains are cushioned or absorbed by the tire 5, thus protecting the body from such shocks.

It will further be seen that the degree of cushioning effect of the device may be varied by varying the pressure in the tire 5 to accommodate varying road conditions and loads.

The use of a pneumatic tire including a casing and inner tube affords a very rugged structure and, has the further advantage that the rubber and fabric of the tire casing acts as an intermediate comprises, an annular housing having a transversely arcuate face on its inner periphery and adapted to be secured in a vertical position on a horizontal member of the chassis frame, a pneumatic tire, including a casing and an inner tube, positioned within said housing and held in nonrotatable relation thereto by engagement of the tread portion of the tire with the inner peripheral surface of the housing, a hub upon which said tire is mounted, said hub being divided transversely into two parts, a flange formed on each hub part "adapted to engage the bead portions of the tire casing, vandabolt passing axially through said hub to hold said hub parts in position to tightly grip the beads of the tire casing between the flanges and to connectthe hub rigidly to the body.

HAROLD H. ROBINSON. 

